Author ORCID Identifier
Arto Lanamäki: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3355-802X
Marco Nathan: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3675-7465
Abstract
A theoretical contribution is commonly required for publication in top Information Systems (IS) journals. For theory modeling, the IS literature identifies variance and process models as the key options. Meanwhile, modern philosophy of science, in both life and social sciences, highlights the importance of mechanism-based explanations (MBEs), viewing them as alternatives to statistical explanations and laws. In IS, MBEs are often intellectually linked with Critical Realism (CR). However, within the philosophy of science, particularly in the ‘new mechanical philosophy,’ MBEs are distinct from CR. The MBEs model complex change dynamics involving activities and entities that produce change. While both MBEs and process models can explain dynamics in ways that variance models cannot, MBEs differ from process models by focusing on activities and entities rather than events. This paper contributes by clarifying (1) what the ‘new mechanical philosophy’ is in the IS context, and (2) what the theory and theoretical contribution are in MBEs. We also show (3) how MBEs in the modern philosophy of science differ from (I) laws, (II) statistical explanations and variance models, and (III) process models. For example, process models in IS emphasize upward abstraction, whereas the MBE philosophy also emphasizes downward decomposition into submechanisms.
DOI
10.17705/1CAIS.05718
Recommended Citation
Siponen, M., Lanamäki, A., Nathan, M., & Klaavuniemi, T. (2025). Mechanism-Based Explanations and Theoretical Contribution in IS Research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 57, 458-475. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.05718
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